MANILA, Philippines?When the words ?cruise? and ?movie? are used in one sentence, we can usually predict the outcome: a love story, scenic settings ... or a paid vacation for stars with some song-and-dance numbers thrown in. Oh, and a story line, not to forget.

GMA Films? ?I.T.A.L.Y. (I Trust and Love You)? is both a little bit of a cruise and a little bit of a movie. And while it may still surprise with some production values, by the end of the movie, we?re still likely to feel we?ve been had. Only it?s hard to say exactly why.

Fairly entertaining

That?s because it succeeds in being fairly entertaining, rising above minimum expectations and even turning out several memorable moments.

Opening with a well-executed dream sequence that?s arguably one of the best in recent memory, this is the story of Destiny Pinlac or ?Des? (Jolina Magdangal), who dreams of working abroad as a singer and finding Mr. Right.

She lands a job as housekeeping staff for a European cruise liner and meets different characters on board. Their individual journeys help Des find her own dreams.

Lovely (Eugene Domingo), is her gregarious mentor and confidante whose aborted love-life explains her personality. Stella (Rufa Mae Quinto) is the grammatically-challenged torch singer who spews cheesy song lyrics to express herself. Paolo (Dennis Trillo) is the mysterious passenger who has a knack for moping on the deck. There are the budding lovers? crew member Nathan (Mark Herras) and rich girl Phoebe (Rhian Ramos).

?I.T.A.L.Y.? tries hard to be a lot of things. As a tribute to Filipino seafarers on cruise ships, it scores points, thanks to veteran actor Pen Medina, who plays Jolina?s invalid father.

As a comedy, the movie serves up intermittent laugh-out-loud moments, courtesy of the inimitable Domingo, who virtually carries the flick. The dragging moments she rescues, deftly enough to sustain our attention until her next appearance.

Hurried cruise

As the latest in a string of movies set abroad?meant to show audiences life in other countries?it enthralls with beautiful shots of Paris, Genoa, Napoli, Marseilles, Venice, to name a few. But as in a real-life cruise, these views are mostly cursory and hurried.

It?s a stylishly contemporary movie, with well-edited vignettes and Hollywood-style graphics that contribute to its visual appeal.

Still, it falls short in many crucial areas. A lot of weight ends up being carried by the actors who have to tell the choppy story. As lead star, Magdangal meets this challenge with her very natural, easy-on-the-eyes-and-senses portrayal.

But Dennis Trillo, whose character has one of the most promising sub-stories, could have done a better job.

And the ship could have sailed without some characters. Rufa Mae Quinto?s time-tested ?Booba? act may have been blockbuster material in the past, but after a few turns, albeit funny, the act gets tiring.

On paper, the Mark Herras-Rhian Ramos pairing would have provided some charm, but it lacks the proper setup, momentum, and foundation needed to convince.

Persistent suspension of disbelief would be needed to make a number of situations believable. For instance, crew members habitually rummaging through guests? stuff or sneaking mysterious packages into their rooms.

And so, for the most part, the movie just cruises along, seemingly swept to wherever the wind takes it, with the audience as passengers who know not exactly where they?re being taken.

Until the very end of the trip, that is, when the tangle of situations are resolved. Again, Eugene Domingo saves the ship-in-distress that is the movie. But the lasting high is reserved for Jolina and a ?special guest? who close the movie together.

Fans swoon, of course, and, leaving the movie house, wonder aloud about the next trip.